The Civil Law Court has handed down a ruling that could see Liberia Football Association (LFA) President Mustapah Ishola Raji jailed for one month if the LFA fails to pay a US$300 fine within 72 hours.
The fine was imposed by Judge Peter Gbeneweleh on Wednesday after the court found the LFA guilty of contempt of court, stemming from a controversial social media post that has shaken the football community ahead of its upcoming elections.
The dispute goes back to the weekend when the court issued a writ of summons against LFA presidential aspirant Cassell Anthony Kuoh.
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The writ was linked to an audio recording circulating widely on social media alleging Kuoh mentioning Vice President Jeremiah Koung of attempting to influence a judicial ruling connected to the elections.
Court officials later clarified that the writ had been mistakenly delivered to the LFA by a sheriff.
However, the situation escalated when the writ, along with Gbeneweleh's photograph and the audio recording, appeared on Facebook.
The post fueled accusations that the judiciary was meddling in the electoral process, sparking outrage and confusion among stakeholders.
On Monday, Kuoh's legal team presented arguments before Gbeneweleh, who also witnessed Kuoh being questioned about the recording in which he distanced himself and attributed it to artificial intelligence.
Following the proceedings, the judge issued a writ of contempt against the LFA, ordering it to appear in court on Tuesday to explain why it should not be held in contempt for the social media post.
At the hearing, LFA General Secretary Emmett Crayton and Legal Affairs Manager Benedict A. Yarsiah pleaded with the court for leniency.
They invoked the principle of "temper mercy with justice"-a call for balance between compassion and fairness--asking Gbeneweleh to forgive the LFA for the incident.
Gbeneweleh acknowledged the plea but ultimately ruled that mercy must be tempered with justice.
He fined the LFA US$300 and warned that failure to pay within 72 hours would result in Raji being jailed for a month.
Gbeneweleh has, at the same time, denied a motion to dismiss the LFA's amendment to a petition for declaratory judgment filed by Kouh, clearing the way for the matter to proceed to substantive legal arguments.
Ruling on Wednesday, Gbeneweleh held that the LFA acted within the law when it withdrew and subsequently filed its amended returns.
Kuoh's lawyers argued that the clause was unconstitutional and discriminatory, claiming it unfairly excluded candidates from participating in the democratic process.
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The court found that the LFA's original returns, filed on March 20, 2026, were within the statutory 10-day period following the filing of the petition on March 10, thereby satisfying the timeliness requirement under the Civil Procedure Law.
The rulings have intensified the already tense atmosphere surrounding the LFA's upcoming elections.
The contempt fine and threat of jail time for Raji underscore the seriousness with which the court views their conduct, while the rejection of Kuoh's legal challenge reinforces the LFA's ability to regulate its own electoral process in line with international standards.
This controversy highlights broader issues of transparency, accountability, and the role of judicial oversight in sports governance in Liberia.
With contested rules and looming penalties, the elections are shaping up to be one of the most contentious in the LFA's history.
Gbeneweleh's rulings send a clear message: while mercy may soften justice, it can't erase accountability.
The LFA now faces the dual challenge of paying its contempt fine to avoid Raji's imprisonment, while also navigating the fallout from Kuoh's failed legal challenge.
As the LFA prepares for elections, the balance between justice and mercy--and between law and sport--remains at the center of Liberia's football politics.
